Coachella Valley, CA – The Coachella Valley Firebirds shut out the Calgary Wranglers 2-0 on Saturday night at Acrisure Arena. Goaltender Nikke Kokko was perfect between the pipes, stopping all 23 shots he faced to earn his first AHL playoff shutout.
Mitchell Stephens, who scored his first overtime game-winner for Coachella Valley in Tuesday’s series opener, and John Hayden—both of whom saw NHL action with the Kraken this season—each contributed goals in the win. Hayden sealed the series with an empty-netter on Saturday night.
Kokko, a 2022 NHL Draft pick, has had a standout season. He made his NHL debut with the Seattle Kraken in February during a road game against the St. Louis Blues, stepping in after head coach Dan Bylsma pulled starter Joey Daccord following the Blues’ fifth goal in the second period. Kokko earned his shutout in clutch fashion, making three key saves in the final four minutes—none bigger than a deflection stop with 40 seconds left, which he calmly smothered to deny a rebound.
The Firebirds have now eliminated the Wranglers from the playoffs for a third straight year—each year in the franchise’s three-season history—and advance to Round Two of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. They’ll face the Abbotsford Canucks in a best-of-five series starting Thursday, May 1, at Acrisure Arena. This marks the first postseason meeting between the teams, with Coachella Valley holding a 3-1-0-0 record against Abbotsford this season and a 12-3-0-1 all-time regular-season advantage.
Round Two Series Schedule:
Game One – Thursday, May 1st – 7:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Two – Saturday, May 3rd – 6:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Three – Wednesday, May 7th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Four* – Friday, May 9th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Five* – Sunday, May 11th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
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